Catastrophic flooding washes through Houston
Flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Harvey overwhelms the US city, forcing residents to flee in boats or wait for more days of ‘unprecedented’ rainfall
Houston — Catastrophic flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Harvey inundated Houston on Sunday, forcing residents of the fourth most populous US city to flee in boats or hunker down in anticipation of several more days of "unprecedented" rainfall. Harvey came ashore late on Friday as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years and has killed at least two people. The death toll is expected to rise as the storm triggers additional tidal surges and tornadoes, with parts of the region expected to see a year’s worth of rainfall in the span of a week. The storm turned roads into rivers and caused chest-deep flooding on some streets in Houston as rivers and channels overflowed their banks. More than 66cm of rain had fallen in parts of Houston in the space of 48 hours, the National Weather Service said on Sunday, with more on the way. Harvey struck at the heart of the country’s oil and gas industry, forcing operators to close several refineries and evacuate and close offs...
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